Paki "Babur"

22 Mar 2007

Pakistan test fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile today reportedly with stealth capabilities. The Hatf VII, or Babur as it is known in Pakistan military circles, is a terrain-hugging, radar-avoiding cruise missile, whose range has now been enhanced to 700 kilometres. It is a highly maneuverable missile with pinpoint accuracy, a Pakistani military statement said.

The test comes as protests over the firing of Pakistans supreme court chief justice by the countrys leader, Pervez Musharraf, continue to grow. The generals hold on power has always been tenuous with al Qaeda-linked tribal groups in the west agitating for a Taliban-style government. So this latest missile test could be an attempt to demonstrate his military prowess with angry crowds teeming in the streets.

This is the third test of the Hatf VII missile since 2005, and with its relatively short range, its only a threat to neighboring India. Given the raging opposition to Musharrafs rule, however, a nuclear-tipped Babur in the hands of a fundamentalist government could pose a major threat to U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.